10Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all you⌃ that love her hold in her a general assembly: rejoice greatly with her, all that now mourn over her:
11that you⌃ may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation; that you⌃ may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory.
12For thus says the Lord, Behold, I turn toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the Gentiles: their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees.
13As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and you⌃ shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14And you⌃ shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known to them that fear him, and he shall threaten the disobedient.
15For, behold, the Lord will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire.
16For with the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh with his sword: many shall be slain by the Lord.
17They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, and eat swine's flesh in the porches, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord.
18And I know their works and their imagination. I am going to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
19And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth them that have escaped of them to the nations, to Tharsis, and Phud, and Lud, and Mosoch, and to Thobel, and to Greece, and to the isles afar off, to those who have not heard my name, nor seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
20And they shall bring your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord with horses, and chariots, in litters drawn by mules with awnings, to the holy city Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord.
21And I will take of them priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name continue.
23And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, that all flesh shall come to worship before me in Jerusalem, says the Lord.
24And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.
Genesis 49.33-50.26 (Vespers)
33And Jacob ceased giving charges to his sons; and having lifted up his feet on the bed, he died, and was gathered to his people.
1And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept on him, and kissed him.
2And Joseph commanded his servants the embalmers to embalm his father; and the embalmers embalmed Israel.
3And they fulfilled forty days for him, for so are the days of embalming numbered; and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.
4And when the days of mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the princes of Pharao, saying, If I have found favor in your sight, speak concerning me in the ears of Pharao, saying,
5My father adjured me, saying, In the sepulchre which I dug for myself in the land of Chanaan, there you shall bury me; now then I will go up and bury my father, and return again.
6And Pharao said to Joseph, Go up, bury your father, as he constrained you to swear.
7So Joseph went up to bury his father; and all the servants of Pharao went up with him, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.
8And all the household of Joseph, and his brethren, and all the house of his father, and his kindred; and they left behind the sheep and the oxen in the land of Gesem.
9And there went up with him also chariots and horsemen; and there was a very great company.
10And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan; and they bewailed him with a great and very sore lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
11And the inhabitants of the land of Chanaan saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, and said, This is a great mourning to the Egyptians; therefore he called its name, The mourning of Egypt, which is beyond Jordan.
12And thus his sons did to him.
13So his sons carried him up into the land of Chanaan, and buried him in the double cave, which cave Abraam bought for possession of a burying place, of Ephrom the Chettite, before Mambre.
14And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brethren, and those that had gone up with him to bury his father.
15And when the brethren of Joseph saw that their father was dead, they said, Let us take heed, lest at any time Joseph remember evil against us, and recompense to us all the evils which we have done against him.
16And they came to Joseph, and said, Your father adjured us before his death, saying,
17Thus say you⌃ to Joseph, Forgive them their injustice and their sin, forasmuch as they have done you evil; and now pardon the injustice of the servants of the God of your father. And Joseph wept while they spoke to him.
18And they came to him and said, We, these persons, are your servants.
19And Joseph said to them, Fear not, for I am God's.
20You⌃ took counsel against me for evil, but God took counsel for me for good, that the matter might be as it is today, and much people might be fed.
21And he said to them, Fear not, I will maintain you, and your families: and he comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
22And Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his brethren, and all the family of his father; and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23And Joseph saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation; and the sons of Machir the son of Manasse were borne on the sides of Joseph.
24And Joseph spoke to his brethren, saying, I die, and God will surely visit you, and will bring you out of this land to the land concerning which God swore to our fathers, Abraam, Isaac, and Jacob.
25And Joseph adjured the sons of Israel, saying, At the visitation with which God shall visit you, then you⌃ shall carry up my bones hence with you.
26And Joseph died, aged one hundred and ten years; and they prepared his corpse, and put him in a coffin in Egypt.
Proverbs 31.8-31 (Vespers)
8Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly.
9Open your mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.
10Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils.
12For she employs all her living for her husband's good.
13Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands.
14She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood.
15And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and appointed tasks to her maidens.
16She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants a possession.
17She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work.
18And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night.
19She reaches forth her arms to needful works, and applies her hands to the spindle.
20And she opens her hands to the needy, and reaches out fruit to the poor.
21Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: for all her household are clothed.
22She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, and garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet.
23And her husband becomes a distinguished person in the gates, when he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land.
24She makes fine linens, and sells girdles to the Chananites: she opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, and controls her tongue.
25She puts on strength and honor; and rejoices in the last days.
26But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law.
27The ways of her household are careful, and she eats not the bread of idleness.
28And her kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, and her husband praises her.
29Many daughters have obtained wealth, many have wrought valiantly; but you have exceeded, you have surpassed all.
30Charms are false, and woman's beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear the Lord.
31Give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.
Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9
(Vespers, St Tikhon)
1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
2In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6As gold in the furnace has he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he has care for his elect.
Wisdom of Solomon 5.15-6.3
(Vespers, St Tikhon)
15But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High.
16Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.
17He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.
18He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.
19He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.
20His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.
21Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark.
22And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them.
23Yes, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.
1Hear therefore, O you⌃ kings, and understand; learn, you⌃ that be judges of the ends of the earth.
2Give ear, you⌃ that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.
3For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.
Wisdom of Solomon 4.7-15
(Vespers, St Tikhon)
7But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.
8For honorable age is not that which stands in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.
9But wisdom is the gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is old age.
10He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.
11Yes speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit decieve his soul.
12For the bewitching of naughtiness does obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence does undermine the simple mind.
13He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:
14For his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he to take him away from among the wicked.
15This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he has respect to his chosen.
Commemorations
St Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople (582)
He was born to devout and noble parents in Phrygia. Though his father was a prominent officer, he entered monastic life when young, and became abbot of a monastery in Amasea at the age of thirty. In 553 he was sent to the Fifth Ecumenical Council as the representative of the Metropolitan of Amasea. At the Council, he was one of those who argued, successfully, that heretics could be anathematized after their deaths. The most prominent case in point was Origen, the brilliant Christian philosopher who had written that all will eventually be saved. Eutychius’ position thus earned him the enmity of the Origenists, who still made up an influential group in the Church. Saint Eutychius became a trusted confidante of the Emperor Justinian, and when Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople, reposed, Eutychius was chosen to replace him. Eutychius ruled in peace for twelve years, but was then cast into controversy when he boldly opposed one of the most hard-to-pronounce heresies in the history of the Church: Aphthartodocetism, the belief that Christ, before his resurrection, possessed an incorruptible body, not subject to hunger, thirst or pain (though the scriptures plainly speak of Christ being weary, hungry, thirsty, weeping). The Emperor Justinian for a time fell into this variant of the Monophysite heresy, and exiled Eutychius to his monastery for twelve years. During these years Eutychius showed himself to be a wonder-worker, healing many of their diseases through his prayers. Justinian repented shortly before his death, and his successor, Justin II, called Eutychius back to the Patriarchal throne, where he served the Church in peace until his repose at the age of seventy.